Pollo a la Brasa — Straight Up
Steven Raichlen's Peruvian chicken from Project Fire, done whole and upright on the Trompo King in a Kamado, with his creamy green sauce plus queso fresco. A taste-and-adjust recipe: quantities are in the book, so I've left them out.
Equipment
- Kamado Joe Classic
- Trompo King upright skewer
- MEATER probes
- Granite mortar and pestle
- Blender
Ingredients
The chicken
- 1 whole chicken about 3½–4 lb in Raichlen's recipe
The rub (pound the garlic and salt to a paste first)
- garlic cloves
- coarse salt
- smoked paprika
- ground cumin
- black pepper
- ají amarillo paste the yellow Peruvian chile
- huacatay paste Peruvian black mint (fresh mint in a pinch)
- lime juice
- olive oil
The green sauce
- cilantro (coriander leaves)
- jalapeños
- scallions (spring onions)
- garlic
- ají amarillo paste
- huacatay paste
- lime juice
- mayonnaise
- sour cream my blend of mayo and sour cream has stuck
- queso fresco crumbled by hand, for texture; rinsed paneer works where you can't find it
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Pound the garlic and salt to a paste in a mortar, then work in the spices, ají amarillo and huacatay pastes, lime juice and olive oil.
- Lift the skin over the breast and thighs and work some of the paste underneath. Coat the rest of the bird, bag it, and marinate in the fridge for roughly three hours (Raichlen says 3 to 5).
- Set up the Kamado for indirect cooking with charcoal, roughly 350–400°F.
- Stand the chicken upright on the Trompo King and roast it indirect, with a probe in each side. Cook to temperature, not time (Raichlen's target is 165°F in the thigh).
- Meanwhile make the sauce: chop the cilantro, jalapeños, scallions and garlic, then blend with the pastes, lime, mayonnaise and sour cream until smooth, creamy and cold. Crumble in the queso fresco and season.
- Rest, carve and pull the chicken. Serve with rice (cilantro and lime) and plenty of the green sauce.
Video
Notes
Adapted from Steven Raichlen, “Peruvian Grilled Chicken with Creamy Salsa Verde”, Project Fire, pp. 201–203 (the sauce is credited to Nancy Loseke). Quantities are in the book. The sour cream comes from the website version of his sauce; the queso fresco is mine. Mine came out dark in places, which Raichlen's own photograph shares.